


Knights Infinity

by MorganaMagics



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Blood and Injury, Duelling, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Swordfighting, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29972337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaMagics/pseuds/MorganaMagics
Summary: Reki Kyan is a blacksmith's apprentice who spends his time at "S," an underground dueling arena in Stogalla Forest.Langa Hasegawa, has returned to Wrezia after living in Krizia and has never touched a sword before. Even so, he gets wrapped up in S along with Reki, and demonstrates an uncanny ability for swordfighting.Alchemists, florists, and other unique individuals compete for the thrill of battle.—Or, Sk8 but with swords instead of skateboards.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Knights Infinity

Stogalla Forest was pitch black at night. 

It was impossible to see the moon or stars through the thick canopy. Even in winter, the trees were heavy with bright green leaves. 

There are rumors as to why this is. Some say the forest was enchanted by a young knight years ago looking for a place to hide from their father. Others say it had fed off the lives of a group of friends that had wandered into the woods. 

Though the forest was dark most of the time, every night at midnight, within the center of the forest, light burned in the form of hot flame. 

Anyone who wandered into the forest at midnight would find the light was man-made. A hand-built arena lit with paper lanterns was hidden within Stogalla. Above the doors was a simple letter “S”, the same symbol pinned to the clothes of the people who filed inside. 

Squires in red helmets checked for the pins, letting those with one to pass the booths at the door and enter into a large room known by those there as the Training House. 

On the west wall of the Training House were targets set up for archers. There were pits for sword fighting and even areas for jousters to practice their thrusts. Only those who had a duel planned hung out in the Training House. Other than them, newbies often hung around to try the equipment or get a close-up look at their favorite duelist. 

Beyond the Training House was a set of red doors that opened up to the main arena. Seating surrounded a giant dirt pit where two people currently stood with swords in their hands. 

On the left was a teenager with bright red hair. His sword’s handle was covered in detailed carvings of gears. On the right was a man dressed in studded leather clothing and his face painted with bright makeup. He wielded a war hammer, a nasty piece of work with a blade that was blinding in the candlelight. 

From a platform sitting above the doors leading into the pit was a broad-shouldered woman with thick muscle in her upper arms. There was no doubt that outside of S she was most likely a knight but behind S’s wall, she was the arena’s announcer.

“Good evening, duelists!” she yelled to the crowd, earning a wave of excited cheering. 

“Kicking off today’s duel is a fan favorite. Give it up for the trickster in the pit— Shadow!” 

Shadow, the man in the studded leather, lifted his weapon into the air. He stuck out his tongue, grinning ear to ear as he soaked in the cheers. 

The woman pointed at the teenager. “And to the left is our up-and-coming duelist, the kid we all know and love— Reki!”

Reki blushed and rubbed the back of his neck before waving at the roaring crowd. 

As the crowd settled, Reki and Shadow raised their weapons, waiting.

The ring of a bell sounded and Reki jumped into action.

The teen ran at his opponent. His eyes focused on his face, searching for any cracks in the man’s poker face. When none were found, Reki took a chance. His swing was easily blocked by Shadow. Reki’s arms were left hanging high, opening up his lower body. 

Shadow gave him a kick and Reki stumbled backward, coughing on his own spit. This time Shadow swung his sword, Reki managing to block it at the last second. Shadow grinned down at the teen, his eyes burning from the thrill of their fight. 

Before Reki could put some distance between them, Shadow attacked again. He swung out, knocking his hammer so hard against Reki’s sword that it went flying across the arena and embedded itself into the ground. Reki made to run for it but was stopped by a series of small explosions that went off in front of him. Shadow, while Reki had been distracted with the crowd, had tossed several homemade fireworks into the loose dirt. 

Reki stumbled back from the force of the explosion and fell onto his backside. There was a sudden sharp press of metal against his throat. Shadow had gained the upper hand.

Reki held his breath. 

He and Shadow looked to the announcer. She was looking up at the shaded booth above her. It was special seating, meant purely for S’s founder. Those within the booth were hidden by a curtain that only showed the shadows of the people behind. 

The person behind the curtain bobbed their head and Shadow lowered his weapon away from Reki’s skin.

“Shadow is our winner!” the announcer yelled, her voice quickly drowned out by the cheers of the audience.

Reki’s shoulders slumped as he watched Shadow walk up to the sword embedded into the ground. Shadow smashed his hammer against the blade, bending it at a horrid angle. Another hit made the blade pop free of the hilt. 

Reki had spent weeks building it by hand, for nothing. 

* * *

Wrezia was a pillar of white against the shadow of a vast forest.

As the Hasegawa’s cart rolled closer, two large mares with sky blue bridals pulling it, Langa could see the little details that made Wrezia a castle incomparable to the one he grew up in. 

The single pillar was an illusion. At a certain angle, the pillar broke into three connected by several glass bridges. Vines grew up the white brick, blooming with blue and red roses. 

Around the castle was a town with an endless market square. A moat separated the common folk from the castle grounds but people easily passed back and forth thanks to a wide bridge of dark hardwood. 

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Nanako, Langa’s mom, asked from his right. She was pulling the reins in her hands, silently asking the horses to slow down so that she and Langa could take the time to enjoy the view. 

She had been watching Langa’s face since Wrezia first came into view. There was slight wonder on her son’s face, the kind that was expected when visiting a new place. There was sadness there too, an emotion that seemed to cling onto Langa most days now

They pulled into town, passing pubs, printing houses, and lines of homes that were packed so close together they looked like they had become one. 

They passed a blacksmith at some point. A red-haired boy around Langa’s own age stood outside of it with what looked like a broadsword in his hands. He swung the blade, the light of the sun catching on the point as he brought it down. 

As if sensing someone watching him, the red-haired boy looked away from his sword and up at Langa. He grinned, lifting his hand in a wave. 

Langa waved back, keeping his eyes on the boy until he was only a speck in the distance. 

The cart stopped in front of a large house, the Hasegawa crest hanging above the door on a battle-worn shield. Attached to it was a large field perfect for the horses to prance around in. 

It was nothing like their home back in Krizia but Langa tried not to let it bother him. He knew they needed a change. Krizia was only a place of sad memories now for them both.

Langa jumped off the cart and walked over to the horses to unhook them and lead them to the field. In his head, he went through the list of things he needed to take care of now that they had reached their destination. He had made the list on the ride, wanting to be prepared so he could help his mother the best he could. After all, he had promised his father he would be there for his mom when she needed help.

Nanako stopped Langa short. 

“Go explore,” she told him. 

When Langa tried to argue, she cast him a pouty glare. His hands slipped away from the horses and he reluctantly made his way down the drive. Nanako waved at him, a smug smile on her lips.

Langa let himself wander, finding himself back at the blacksmiths for some reason. He stood outside the door, raising a brow when a small fox peaked out at him. Its ears flicked and its nose wiggled as it sniffed the air in Langa’s direction.

The fox chirped and ran out from the door. Langa watched it, raising a brow as it ran underneath a bench around the side of the building. 

The red-head from before was sitting on the bench with a pile of swords to his right. He was sharpening a sword, one eye squinted shut as he peered down the line of metal. 

The redhead's concentration broke as he noticed the fox’s sudden appearance. He followed its pointed glare to Langa. 

Amber eyes looked Langa up and down. “Can I help you?”

Langa shifted on his feet. “I just moved here,” he answered. “I’m supposed to be looking around.”

“Oh?” the red-head cocked his head. “Do you need a guide then? Names Reki. I know this place like the back of my hand so you’re guaranteed a good tour from me.”

Langa eyed the pile of swords. The fox had crawled up on top of the pile and was batting playfully at one with a leather-wrapped grip.

“Don’t you need to finish those?” Langa asked.

Reki grimaced. He cast a hard glare at the swords as if it would be enough to make them come to life and polish themselves. It wasn’t though. The swords stayed where they were, grimy and in need of a good sharpening. 

“I could help?” Langa offered and Reki perked up. 

“What? For real?”

Langa nodded. 

Reki handed over a sword. “You ever handled a blade before?”

Langa shook his head. He thought of the lance sitting back at his old home, wondering if the people caring for the house had kept it hanging above the fireplace.

He reached out, plucking a sword up from the blade. It earned him a pained grimace from Reki. The red-head reached out, flipping the sword in Langa’s hands. 

“Lucky for you, these blades are duller than a soup spoon.”

The polishing required a lot more arm muscle than Langa expected.

By the time he finished sharpening one sword, his arm felt like someone had stripped the bone from it and left the flappy wads of skin behind. 

Reki didn’t seem to have the same problem. He was on his fifth sword already and had even polished each one until they shimmered in the light of the sinking sun. 

The door to the building opened by the time Langa finally reached five swords. The blacksmith, Shokichi Oka, stepped outside. 

“Reki, have you seen…” Shokichi trailed off, blinking owlishly at Langa. “Uh, hello.” 

Shokichi looked to the pile of swords closest to Langa. He picked one of the sharpened swords, eyeing it carefully. 

“Not bad.” Shokichi raised a brow at Langa. “You looking for a job?”

Langa perked up, remembering his list. His mother had reassured him that she could support them with her own work but Langa refused to let her take all of the burdens. 

“I have a sword that needs to be delivered to a certain event tonight.” Shokichi gave Reki a knowing look. “Reki, help him get an invite, alright? I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”

Reki let out a hoot and gripped Langa by the shoulders. He was oozing excitement, his eyes bright and shining. 

Langa swayed from side-to-side as Reki shook him, wondering silently just what he had gotten himself into.

They sat on the bridge over the moat. 

After they had finished with the swords, they had gone on their way, Reki pointing out buildings and people to Langa along the way. 

Langa found rather quickly that Reki really was a good guide. He described everything with a spark of enthusiasm in his voice, making even the quietest of buildings in town sound like the most amazing in the world. 

There were people fishing in the water near the moat, though they didn’t seem to be catching much if their empty buckets were anything to go by. 

A man walked down the bridge from the castle. He was dressed in armor, the royal crest on his chest. Reki made eye-contact with him and the man discreetly tossed a pin into Reki’s hand. When Reki showed Langa, the teen found that the pin had an “S” stamped into it.

“S is an underground dueling arena in the forest,” Reki explained as he slipped the pin into Langa’s hands. “There’s only one rule; disarm your opponent first and you win.”

“Do you win something?”

“Mmm...not really. Not anymore at least. You know how only nobles can become knights? There were these guys a while back who thought that was stupid, that anyone should be able to become one. They created S for common folk to gather in secret and fight. It eventually became more of an entertainment thing as time went on. I hear some people used to catch a visiting knight’s eye during a duel sometimes and got hired as squires though.”

Langa raised a brow. “Then, do you want to be a knight, Reki?”

Reki laughed. “No way.” 

He stood up, pulling a small sword from his belt. It wasn’t anything special. The grip was standard with little decoration or detail. The actual blade had words carved into it, a saying that seemed to have something to do with one’s happiness. The pommel was where the real detail hid. It was shaped like a gear, a small red stone pressed into the center to give it some sparkle. 

The blade shimmered as Reki slashed it through the air. He adjusted his stance, knees bent. Again, he slashed. The air broke under his blade. The third strike left the point of the sword just a breath away from Langa’s chest. His movements were steady and graceful. 

He left Langa breathless.

Reki smiled. “This is what makes me happiest.”

* * *

They were late. 

As reluctant as Reki was to admit it, their lateness was mostly his fault. Well, it was his muse’s fault. He had been working on a new sword, one of his latest masterpieces. He had wanted to finish it but that had gone on longer than he had planned. 

They had made it to the arena before midnight though. Their client would have his sword.

The squires in red checked their pins at the entrances and the two stepped into the Training House. Reki kept his eyes on Langa, a grin pinching his cheeks as the breath was knocked out of his new friend. 

Langa stumbled forward, his eyes swooping over every person and weapon. His gaze climbed the walls adorned with various shields and up to the roof where candle fixtures were made from bent weapons. 

Chuckling under his breath, Reki guided Langa to a set of smaller doors on the opposite side of the ones that led to the arena. The door opened to a series of steps that led down to a dark hallway.

At the end was a set of doors that would lead into the arena’s main fighting pit. Two men and a young woman were standing by the doors. They were in a heated argument, one that was quickly broken when they noticed Langa and Reki’s arrival.

“About time!” their client yelled. 

He grabbed the cloth-wrapped sword and scabbard Reki was carrying. There was excitement burning in his eyes but it was quickly snuffed out as he pulled the cloth away.

The client had ordered a sword with an evergreen dyed scabbard to match his girlfriend’s eyes, a clean blade, and a grip adorned with several swirling engravings. A worn scabbard, a blade with an engraving, and a gear on the pommel were what the client got instead. 

Color left Reki’s face. He had grabbed his own sword and scabbard by mistake somehow. 

“I can’t fight with this!”

Shadow, the client’s opponent for the night cackled. 

The client flinched at the sound and thrust a finger out at Reki. 

“You!” he cried. “You’ll fight in my place.”

Reki’s words stumbled. He tried to think of a way out of the situation but they were out of time. The arena bell was ringing and the announcer was calling for the duelists. The doors were opening. 

Shadow marched out the doors, another following with Reki’s sword in hand. The sword was not carried by the client or Reki. It was Langa.

“Langa, stop!” Reki cried from the doors. “You don’t know anything about duels.”

The sound of soft footsteps came from behind Reki. He turned around, his jaw falling as he immediately recognized the person. 

The alchemist duelist Cherry Blossom had made an appearance. 

He was tall, pink-haired, and wore robes instead of armor. The man was a legend, one of the three founders of S. 

“If you pick up a sword here, you duel,” Cherry Blossom said while casting a smile in Langa’s direction. 

Reki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“Langa, don’t—“

Reki was ignored. Langa took his place in the center of the pit, facing Shadow with little fear in his gaze. 

“Well, now isn’t this interesting, folks? Looks like Shadow has a different opponent than we expected. Can't say I know the kid’s name but let’s give him a big welcome, yeah?”

The crowd cheered in answer. Langa didn’t react, his gaze focused on Shadow. 

The bell rang, signaling the start of the duel. 

Shadow was the one to make a move first. He ran at Langa with his war hammer, a battle cry on his tongue. Langa’s arms flexed as he attempted to meet the swing with his own. It was a good move but Langa had misjudged how heavy Reki’s sword really was. He was too slow and had to lurch his body backward so not to get Shadow’s hammer to the chest. 

Reki winced, his fingers finding their way to his teeth. He rocked on his heels, sending little prayers to the gods that Langa would walk away with all his limbs. 

Langa recovered quickly and put some distance between himself and Shadow. He did a few practice swings, getting a feel for the sword. 

He was charged again by Shadow but this time he managed to block the hit. His sword clashed with the hammer, sending the ear-splitting crackle of metal on metal throughout the arena. He put all his weight into the swing, managing to push Shadow back. He swung again, forcing Shadow to back away more to keep from getting hit. 

Slowly but surely, Langa was picking up what worked and what did not. He adjusted himself and soon was moving as if this wasn’t his first time in the arena. It was making the crowd go crazy and Shadow was beginning to grow irritated. 

Reaching into his pocket, Shadow pulled out some fireworks. His plan didn’t go unnoticed, Reki knowing from past experiences with Shadow what to expect. 

“Langa, look out!”

Shadow launched backward as he threw the fireworks at Langa. He had a wild grin on his face but it died as Langa suddenly jumped into the air. 

The fireworks went off but Langa soared safely above them, Reki’s sword above his head. 

The sight took Reki’s breath away, his jaw-dropping to the floor and heart nearly stopping in his chest. For a moment, he thought he saw snow falling from the sky, graceful and beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like Langa, I don't know anything about swords or sword fighting so....take this with a grain of salt.


End file.
